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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: wind · wave · bark · vault · tube · bound · pit · bowl

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. tube — a container
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bound — certain
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. tube — in a tire

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