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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: tear · temple · bark · fork · vault · race · root · stick

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. race — the arms race
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — humankind
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. root — of a plant
  16. race — a contest
  17. vault — a safe
  18. root — the cause
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. root — of a word
  24. temple — a place of worship

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