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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: bear · land · bark · craft · patient · vault · squash · lean

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. land — a country
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lean — to bend
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. land — to come down
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. land — ground
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bark — to shout
  20. vault — a safe
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lean — thin
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. patient — a sick person

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