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

Word bank: face · vault · stand · bark · ruler · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stand — to bear
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. face — to confront
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. vault — a safe
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bark — of a tree

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