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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: vault · mug · bark · tear · bay · object · wake · rash

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mug — to rob
  4. object — to protest
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. object — an aim
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rash — hasty
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mug — a cup
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mug — a face
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. object — a thing

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