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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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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: fan · vault · staff · file · can · bark · spring · foot

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. 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. file — a tool
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. staff — employees
  5. bark — to shout
  6. spring — of water
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a document
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. file — a line of people
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. can — to be able to
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. can — a tin
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. spring — the season
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. spring — a coil
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. 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