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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 124 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. craft — a skill
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. root — the cause
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. craft — boats
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bank — of a river
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bank — for money
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. root — of a plant
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. root — of a word
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rush — hurry
  20. clip — for paper
  21. squash — to crush
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bank — for money
  24. clip — a video

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