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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. net — for catching
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. net — in sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. snap — to click
  19. tear — from crying
  20. net — after costs
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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