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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bark — to shout
  4. last — to go on
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. key — in music
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — a list
  16. last — finally
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. key — for a lock
  24. last — final

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