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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. track — a song
  12. ground — the earth
  13. track — to keep track
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. track — a path

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