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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. staff — employees
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. snap — to click
  15. ball — a dance
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. staff — employees
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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