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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. stock — goods
  5. object — a thing
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stock — shares
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chest — of your body
  14. object — an aim
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. object — to protest
  19. rule — government
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rule — a law

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