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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
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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: rash · fall · shower · bark · jam · craft · vault · scale

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. vault — a safe
  3. craft — boats
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fall — to drop
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fall — the season
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bark — to shout
  12. shower — to wash
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. craft — a skill
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fall — to drop
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. scale — in music
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. shower — rain

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