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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 120 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bark — to shout
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. face — to confront
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stem — to come from
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. game — a match
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cabinet — ministers

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