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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 124 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mug — to rob
  7. chest — a box
  8. craft — a skill
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. prune — to trim
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mug — a face
  16. wake — a trail
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chest — of your body
  24. craft — boats

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