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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cap — of ice
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rash — a series
  6. saw — the tool
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bark — to shout
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. saw — the tool

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