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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: present · sharp · pass · object · race · bark · kick · cabinet

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. present — a gift
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. present — there
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. present — the time now
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. race — the arms race
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. race — a contest
  19. object — an aim
  20. race — humankind
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. sharp — exactly

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