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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · drill · cabinet · chair · cell · bark

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chair — a leader
  6. drill — the tool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. drill — army training
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bark — to shout
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cell — in biology

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