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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bark — to shout
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — a container
  13. branch — a division
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. tube — the underground
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tube — in a tire

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