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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. foot — a measure
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rule — government
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. track — a path
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. track — to keep track
  17. toast — bread
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rule — a law
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. track — a song

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