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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 116 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mate — a partner
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. snap — to click
  15. shower — rain
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — after costs

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