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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: lash · vault · bark · roll · swing · prune · mine · spring

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. vault — a safe
  4. spring — the season
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spring — of water
  11. roll — a list
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. prune — to trim
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. roll — a cake
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mine — for digging
  23. spring — a coil
  24. swing — music

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