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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. file — a document
  6. branch — a division
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. track — a song
  9. spell — a short time
  10. current — happening now
  11. track — a path
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. current — electric
  14. spell — magic
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. spell — letters
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. current — of water
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. track — to keep track
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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