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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. staff — employees
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wound — an injury
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ball — a great time
  19. staff — employees
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. staff — a stick

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