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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bark — to shout
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bass — low music
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. kid — child
  19. bass — the fish
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ruler — for measuring

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