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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 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wake — a trail
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. sharp — clever
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bound — obliged
  7. row — a line
  8. bound — tied together
  9. season — of the year
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bound — certain
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. row — to paddle
  21. season — in sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. 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