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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 116 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: pop · nail · vault · perch · last · spring · lash · bark

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pop — music
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. spring — the season
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bark — to shout
  9. last — final
  10. last — to go on
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pop — to visit
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pop — soda
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. last — finally
  22. spring — of water
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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