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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. 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. bark — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. race — humankind
  6. bass — low music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bass — the fish
  13. season — of the year
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. season — in sport
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. 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