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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. can — a tin
  3. kid — to tease
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. kid — child
  6. can — to be able to
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — a tin
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ball — a dance
  12. face — to confront
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ball — a great time

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