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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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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: hand · land · vault · lash · key · stick · bark · wound

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. land — a country
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wound — an injury
  7. land — ground
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. hand — help
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. land — to come down
  20. key — the most important part
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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