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

Word bank: sharp · lie · bark · rule · vault · cold

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bark — to shout
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cold — an illness
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cold — not warm
  18. vault — a safe

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