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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: charge · bark · tear · band · file · vault · nail · mug

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mug — a face
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. tear — from crying
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mug — a cup
  11. tear — from crying
  12. file — a tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. file — a document
  15. bark — to shout
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mug — to rob
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. vault — a safe
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. charge — a price
  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