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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. board — to get on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mark — a grade
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mark — a trace
  14. can — a tin
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bark — to shout
  24. dip — a sauce

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