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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pass — a permit
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fine — all right
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lie — to recline
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. lie — an untruth

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