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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: bark · pound · saw · rest · chest · board · vault · bulb

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rest — what's left
  11. board — a committee
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chest — a box
  16. saw — the tool
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rest — a break
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. board — to get on

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