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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fine — all right
  6. pit — in a race
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fall — to drop
  10. staff — employees
  11. bark — to shout
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rush — hurry
  20. staff — employees
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fall — the season

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