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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 120 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: lie · sharp · vault · bark · nail · straw · shower · board

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. board — to get on
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. board — a committee
  14. lie — to recline
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. shower — rain
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. shower — to wash
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. straw — dry grass

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