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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: staff · bark · band · season · cell · dip · net · cabinet

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. net — after costs
  4. staff — a stick
  5. season — of the year
  6. net — for catching
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cell — in biology
  9. staff — employees
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cell — a phone
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. band — a music group
  16. staff — employees
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. season — in sport
  23. net — in sport
  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