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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · dip · tube · vault · bark · wake · ground · mate

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bark — to shout
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ground — crushed
  12. tube — the underground
  13. dip — to sink
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wake — a trail
  16. tube — a container
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ground — a position
  24. mate — to breed

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