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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cell — a phone
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. key — in music
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cell — in biology
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tube — a container
  24. key — the most important part

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