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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · ball · plane · hide · date · net · stem · bark

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. vault — a safe
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. net — for catching
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bark — to shout
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. ball — a dance
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ball — a great time
  24. date — the fruit

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