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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · dip · ground · vault · lash · nail · bark · date

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. date — the fruit
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bat — the animal
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ground — the earth
  7. vault — a safe
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ground — a position
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bark — to shout
  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