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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.

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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 · band · vault · toast · face · key · bowl

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. band — a music group
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. face — to confront
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. key — in music
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bark — to shout
  14. face — part of the head
  15. key — for a lock
  16. toast — bread
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. key — the most important part
  21. band — a ring
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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