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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · spell · vault · fan · shower · stand · bore · bark

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. shower — rain
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — letters
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — the underground
  16. spell — magic
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spell — a short time
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stand — to bear
  23. tube — a container
  24. bark — to shout

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