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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 · lean · nail · key · cabinet · cold · shower · prune

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lean — thin
  5. shower — rain
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cold — an illness
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. key — in music
  16. cold — not warm
  17. prune — to trim
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. shower — to wash

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