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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: vault · jam · roll · bark · spell · stand · perch · temple

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. spell — a short time
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. roll — a list
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bark — to shout
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. spell — magic
  15. roll — a cake
  16. vault — a safe
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. spell — letters
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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