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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · cabinet · bark · sharp · kick · drill · trunk · pit

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. sharp — clever
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. drill — army training
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. kick — in football
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mine — for digging
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pit — a hole
  16. drill — a practice
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. drill — the tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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