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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bass — low music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. suit — to fit
  8. hand — help
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. suit — in cards
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bass — the fish
  19. row — to paddle
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — a line
  24. hand — in cards

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