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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: spell · bank · board · race · bark · shower · date · vault

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bank — for money
  3. bark — to shout
  4. shower — rain
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bank — for money
  8. race — humankind
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. spell — magic
  13. bank — of a river
  14. race — a contest
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. spell — letters
  19. race — the arms race
  20. board — to get on
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. vault — a safe
  24. shower — to wash

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