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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.

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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: racket · cold · rest · sharp · cabinet · bark · ruler · dip

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cold — an illness
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cold — not warm
  24. ruler — for measuring

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