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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 120 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: cell · mark · bore · vault · dip · bark · stock · rest

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stock — shares
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. vault — a safe
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stock — goods
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bark — to shout
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. dip — to sink

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