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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: vault · wound · staff · deal · bark · race · chip · ruler

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. staff — employees
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. staff — employees
  7. vault — a safe
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. wound — an injury
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. race — the arms race
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. staff — a stick
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bark — to shout
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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