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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
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: mug · kick · rash · cabinet · trunk · pass · land · bark

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bark — to shout
  6. land — ground
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. land — a country
  11. mug — to rob
  12. kick — in football
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. land — to come down
  19. mug — a face
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of a tree

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