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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mate — to breed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mate — a partner
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mate — a friend
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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