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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
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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: bark · sharp · mine · vault · hide · key · trunk · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mine — for digging
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cap — a hat
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. key — in music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cap — a lid
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. trunk — of a car

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