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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: deal · shower · march · vault · dip · degree · safe · bark

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. vault — a safe
  3. dip — to sink
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bark — to shout
  7. march — music
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. deal — to handle
  11. march — the month
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. shower — rain
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. degree — temperature
  19. march — the month
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. shower — to wash
  24. degree — from a university

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