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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bank — for money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — for betting
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bank — for money
  10. march — the month
  11. fine — all right
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fine — high quality
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bank — of a river
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fine — a penalty

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