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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rash — a series
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. land — ground
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — in biology
  10. land — a country
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. deal — to handle
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. tear — from crying
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — hasty
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. land — to come down
  21. snap — to click
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. tear — from crying

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