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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: cabinet · pitcher · face · bark · swing · mine · vault · lie

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. swing — to play on
  7. face — to point toward
  8. swing — music
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. vault — a safe
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mine — an explosive

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