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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: stock · nail · bark · mouse · cell · vault · cold · bear

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stock — goods
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bear — the animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — an illness
  24. mouse — the animal

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