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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: bore · club · stick · vault · cell · cap · bark · leaves

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cap — of ice
  6. club — a group
  7. bark — to shout
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cap — a lid
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cap — a hat
  15. vault — a safe
  16. club — for golf
  17. bore — to drill
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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