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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. key — for a lock
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bark — to shout
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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