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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · rush · mark · kick · bark · scale · snap · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mark — a trace
  5. snap — to click
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  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