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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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Word bank
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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: kick · ruler · vault · bark · present · wax

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. vault — a safe
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. present — the time now
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. kick — in football
  8. bark — to shout
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wax — to grow
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. present — there
  18. wax — in the ear

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