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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 · shower · current · vault · wind · deal · present · tube

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. shower — rain
  3. present — there
  4. current — electric
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. current — happening now
  8. vault — a safe
  9. present — a gift
  10. wind — moving air
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. present — the time now
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bark — to shout
  20. tube — a container
  21. current — of water
  22. tube — the underground
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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