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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. vault — a safe
  3. tube — a container
  4. wind — moving air
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. chest — of your body
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chest — a box
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pass — a permit

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