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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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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: bark · lean · leaves · vault · deal · game · straw · mate

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. game — a match
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. vault — a safe
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. deal — to handle
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mate — a partner
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lean — to bend
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mate — to breed
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lean — thin

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