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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 120 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
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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: vault · bore · fan · rash · cap · bark · hand · clip

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. clip — for paper
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bore — to tire
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. bark — to shout
  11. clip — a video
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rash — a series
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rash — hasty

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