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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: drill · shower · craft · branch · can · bark · suit · vault

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. craft — boats
  3. suit — in cards
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. suit — clothes
  7. drill — a practice
  8. shower — to wash
  9. branch — a division
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. shower — rain
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. can — a tin
  23. suit — to fit
  24. craft — a skill

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