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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 116 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. kick — in football
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. row — a line
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. root — the cause
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fine — all right
  24. kick — with a leg

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