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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: object · bark · vault · bay · safe · capital · file · wound

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. file — a document
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. capital — money
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. capital — a city
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wound — an injury
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. file — a tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bark — to shout
  20. file — a line of people
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — to protest
  24. bark — of a tree

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