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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.

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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: race · bark · vault · mug · stick · fan · perch · rule

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mug — a face
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — the arms race
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rule — a law
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. race — a contest
  21. mug — to rob
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. race — humankind

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