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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: dip · wave · vault · mug · racket · firm · bark · last

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mug — a face
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. last — finally
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. firm — a company
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mug — a cup
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. firm — steady
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. firm — decided
  23. dip — to sink
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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