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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 120 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: snap · cabinet · lean · file · bark · can · wave · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. file — a tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chair — a leader
  7. file — a line of people
  8. can — a tin
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lean — thin
  18. file — a document
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lean — to bend
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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