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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. field — for sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bank — for money
  10. vault — a safe
  11. suit — to fit
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bank — for money
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bark — to shout
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — in cards
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. suit — clothes

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