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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rule — a law
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. board — to get on
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rule — government
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. track — a song
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bark — to shout
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chest — a box
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. press — newspapers
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. board — a committee
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. vault — a safe

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