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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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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: bat · suit · cell · stand · cabinet · dip · bore · bark

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bore — to drill
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bark — to shout
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bark — 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