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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: hide · wake · land · bark · wave · vault · arm · object

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. land — ground
  5. object — an aim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. vault — a safe
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — a trail
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. land — a country
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. land — to come down
  23. arm — a part of something
  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