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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.

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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: leaves · bark · mine · cap · bore · fork · vault · cell

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fork — a garden tool

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