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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: tear · sharp · mate · cabinet · board · present · bay · bark

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. present — a gift
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. board — to get on
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mate — a friend
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. present — there
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. present — the time now
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. board — a committee
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mate — to breed

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