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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bat — the animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — to protest
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. object — a thing
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pit — in a race
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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