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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bark — to shout
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bank — for money
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rash — a series
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rock — music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wound — an injury
  17. vault — a safe
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com