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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: club · plane · tear · perch · snap · bark · bulb · vault

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. club — for golf
  8. bark — to shout
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. snap — to click
  11. tear — from crying
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. club — a group
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bulb — for light
  20. plane — a tool
  21. club — for dancing
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. perch — the fish
  24. tear — to rip

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