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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: sharp · deal · nail · cold · stem · bark · fine · vault

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stem — to come from
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fine — all right
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cold — not warm
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fine — high quality
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fine — a penalty

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