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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: cabinet · safe · chest · last · racket · staff · bark · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bark — to shout
  4. last — finally
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. staff — a stick
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. staff — employees
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chest — a box
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. staff — employees
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chest — of your body

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