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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: spring · leaves · firm · bark · perch · fall · drill · vault

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. drill — army training
  4. bark — to shout
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fall — to drop
  10. firm — decided
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. spring — a coil
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. perch — the fish
  16. spring — the season
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spring — of water
  19. fall — the season
  20. drill — a practice
  21. firm — a company
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. leaves — to go away

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