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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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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468
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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rash — a series
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wind — moving air
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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