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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: bark · court · wake · rest · dip · plane · wave · vault

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. court — of a king
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bark — to shout
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. court — of law
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. court — for sport
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rest — what's left
  20. plane — a tool
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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