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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: wound · bark · content · wake · pound · vault · tear · object

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pound — a weight
  5. tear — to rip
  6. object — an aim
  7. vault — a safe
  8. content — the amount
  9. object — a thing
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. content — happy
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. object — to protest
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. content — videos and posts

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