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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: lash · cold · bank · vault · stem · ball · bark · pitcher

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cold — an illness
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bank — for money
  18. bark — to shout
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bank — for money
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. lash — to lash out

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