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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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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: ruler · vault · wound · suit · bark · content

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. content — happy
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. content — the amount
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — an injury
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bark — to shout
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. suit — to fit

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