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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — to shout
  3. net — in sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. net — for catching
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — after costs
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lean — thin

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