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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.

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: rest · fine · vault · bark · key · band · season · tube

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. key — the most important part
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. season — of the year
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. band — a ring
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. tube — a container
  20. band — a music group
  21. fine — all right
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rest — a break
  24. bark — to shout

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