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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bark — to shout
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bark — of a tree

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