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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: nail · rock · vault · pitcher · rush · bark · safe · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rock — music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rock — a stone
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. safe — out of danger

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