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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. object — an aim
  8. deal — to handle
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. bark — to shout
  15. field — farmland
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. field — a subject
  20. season — of the year
  21. field — for sport
  22. object — to protest
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. object — a thing

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