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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: wound · face · bark · mouse · branch · ball · saw · vault

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bark — to shout
  5. face — to confront
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wound — an injury
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. vault — a safe
  19. ball — a dance
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. saw — the tool
  22. branch — a division
  23. ball — a great time
  24. branch — of a bank

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