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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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chest — of your body
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chest — a box
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bulb — for light
  14. vault — a safe
  15. chest — of your body
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. file — a tool
  21. roll — a list
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bark — to shout

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