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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bark — to shout
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mug — a cup
  9. file — a document
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mug — a face
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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