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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bark — to shout
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. staff — employees
  15. race — humankind
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. staff — a stick
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. trunk — of a tree

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