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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rash — hasty
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. press — to push
  18. bank — for money
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rash — a series
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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