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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: row · arm · prune · fine · vault · bound · snap · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bound — certain
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. row — a line
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bound — obliged
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. row — to paddle
  15. vault — a safe
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bound — tied together
  20. prune — to trim
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. snap — to click
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. arm — part of the body

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