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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — in cards
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — help
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pit — a hole
  18. hide — to keep secret

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