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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: vault · ruler · bore · bark · swing · clip · firm · season

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. season — in sport
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. firm — decided
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. swing — in golf
  12. firm — steady
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. swing — to play on
  16. clip — a video
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. swing — music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. season — of the year
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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