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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. swing — music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. saw — the tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. can — a tin
  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