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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.

Make a worksheet

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: season · rash · mouse · land · key · bark · straw · vault

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. land — ground
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. land — a country
  7. key — the most important part
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rash — a series
  19. vault — a safe
  20. land — to come down
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. season — of the year
  24. key — in music

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