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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.

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: stand · foot · board · bark · mouse · rash · mine · vault

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. board — to get on
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bark — to shout
  20. board — a committee
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stand — for spectators

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