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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bass — low music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bass — the fish
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cue — a signal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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