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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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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: pound · snap · bark · bore · roll · row · object · vault

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. object — an aim
  10. row — to paddle
  11. object — to protest
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bark — to shout
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. snap — to click
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. roll — a list
  23. row — a line
  24. vault — a safe

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