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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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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: rash · kick · bark · deal · cabinet · stick · foot · swing

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rash — a series
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. swing — music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. foot — a measure
  13. kick — in football
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rash — hasty
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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