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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spell — letters
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mate — to breed
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. net — after costs
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. spell — a short time
  13. net — in sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. net — for catching
  16. spell — magic
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bark — of a tree

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