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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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468
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bark — to shout
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. sharp — clever
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. spell — letters

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