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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: vault · pitcher · jam · fall · bark · lie · bear · mouse

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bark — to shout
  5. lie — to recline
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fall — the season
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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