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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hand — help
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pound — a weight
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. key — for a lock
  18. racket — for tennis

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