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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: stick · bark · rush · tear · vault · nail · net · charge

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. vault — a safe
  9. tear — from crying
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. net — after costs
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. charge — a price
  15. tear — to rip
  16. net — for catching
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. net — in sport

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