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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · cabinet · lie · racket · tear · cell

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cell — in biology
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tear — to rip
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis

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