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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rock — a stone
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bank — of a river
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hand — help
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mate — a partner
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bank — for money
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bank — for money
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mate — a friend

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