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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — in sport
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rest — a break
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. season — of the year
  16. capital — a city
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. lean — to bend
  23. capital — money
  24. lean — thin

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