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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: toast · wake · can · bear · bark · vault · jam · nail

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wake — a trail
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. toast — bread
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bark — to shout
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bear — the animal
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. nail — on a finger
  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