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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: bark · kid · ruler · craft · vault · wake · game · stand

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stand — to bear
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bark — to shout
  11. vault — a safe
  12. kid — child
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. game — a match
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. craft — boats

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