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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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Word bank
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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. present — there
  5. bark — to shout
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. content — the amount
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. present — a gift
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. snap — to click
  18. content — happy
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. foot — a measure
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. present — the time now
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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