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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cap — a hat
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bound — tied together
  5. file — a tool
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bound — certain
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cap — of ice
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — obliged
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bass — the fish

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