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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: wound · current · bark · band · root · vault · calf · arm

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. band — a ring
  6. current — happening now
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. current — electric
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. root — the cause
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. current — of water
  24. root — of a word

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