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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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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: bark · lean · can · roll · vault · content · mark · drill

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. content — the amount
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. vault — a safe
  7. drill — the tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mark — a grade
  11. content — happy
  12. can — to be able to
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. drill — army training
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lean — thin
  22. can — a tin
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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