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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 · bat · present · wound · vault · prune · hand · foot

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. foot — a measure
  10. present — the time now
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. present — there
  15. bat — the animal
  16. present — a gift
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — an injury

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