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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. last — to go on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. last — final
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. land — a country
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. land — ground
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. last — finally

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