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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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Word bank
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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: vault · chest · bark · perch · hide · bass · board · tube

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. board — a committee
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. chest — a box
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. chest — of your body
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — to get on
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tube — a container
  22. bark — to shout
  23. chest — of your body
  24. vault — a safe

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