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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: rest · wave · bulb · bark · vault · spell · stem · file

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. file — a tool
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spell — magic
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stem — to come from
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. spell — letters
  21. file — a document
  22. rest — a break
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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