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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bank — for money
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. can — to be able to
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bank — for money
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. kid — child
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cold — not warm
  24. can — a tin

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