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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 124 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. branch — a division
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bark — to shout
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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