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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. snap — to click
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bark — a dog's sound

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