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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: plane · vault · chest · lash · drill · bark · root · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. drill — the tool
  10. chest — a box
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. root — of a plant
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. plane — a tool
  24. drill — army training

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