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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. race — a contest
  8. mug — a face
  9. race — humankind
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. row — a line
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. row — to paddle
  17. race — the arms race
  18. kid — child
  19. kick — in football
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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