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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. racket — for tennis

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