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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · chair · fall · net · vault · clip · can · nail

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. can — a tin
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. clip — for paper
  6. can — a tin
  7. clip — to cut
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. net — for catching
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. vault — a safe
  17. clip — a video
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fall — to drop
  24. can — to be able to

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