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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. net — for catching
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cold — not warm
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. net — in sport
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mug — a face
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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