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

Word bank: clip · craft · rash · vault · bass · cabinet · bark · bulb

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bulb — for light
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bark — to shout
  17. clip — a video
  18. bass — low music
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. craft — boats
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rash — hasty
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rash — a series

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