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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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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: chair · can · rock · patient · bark · bear · vault · wind

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. can — a tin
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rock — music
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bear — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. can — a tin
  23. chair — a leader
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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