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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: plane · firm · ball · race · last · bark · saw · vault

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. race — a contest
  4. firm — a company
  5. plane — a tool
  6. firm — decided
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — to shout
  12. ball — a dance
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. race — the arms race
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ball — a great time
  17. last — final
  18. firm — steady
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. race — humankind
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. last — finally
  23. saw — the tool
  24. last — to go on

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