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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: rest · vault · bark · saw · ground · bear · wake · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rest — a break
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bark — to shout

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