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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 116 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: hide · vault · bay · ruler · bark · squash · race · spring

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spring — of water
  8. race — the arms race
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bark — to shout
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spring — the season
  17. squash — to crush
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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