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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: cabinet · bark · leaves · press · drill · race · vault · bank

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. race — the arms race
  5. drill — army training
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bank — for money
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. press — to push
  13. vault — a safe
  14. press — a publisher
  15. race — humankind
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bank — of a river
  24. race — a contest

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