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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bark — to shout
  6. track — a song
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. track — a path
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bass — low music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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