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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fine — high quality
  4. band — a ring
  5. can — a tin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fine — all right
  8. mug — a face
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. chest — a box
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mug — a cup
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mug — to rob
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. bark — to shout
  21. can — a tin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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