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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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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 · kid · bay · rock · bowl · branch · cabinet · lie

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rock — music
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lie — to recline
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. kid — child
  12. branch — a division
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cabinet — ministers

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