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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rash — a series
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. firm — a company
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. snap — to click
  14. hand — help
  15. bark — to shout
  16. firm — steady
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. firm — decided
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — a grade
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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