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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — a tin
  3. lie — to recline
  4. game — a match
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — to shout
  7. net — after costs
  8. cue — a hint
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. game — wild animals
  12. net — in sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. net — for catching
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. plane — in geometry

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