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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bark · rush · saw · swing · capital · snap · bowl · cabinet

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. swing — music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. snap — to click
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. capital — a city
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. swing — to play on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. capital — money
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rush — a thrill

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