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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.

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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — a series
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rash — hasty
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. bass — low music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — to protest
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bass — the fish
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wind — moving air

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