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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cue — a hint
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cue — a signal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. sharp — clever
  16. charge — a price
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. charge — in control
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cue — for pool
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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