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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. snap — to click
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rock — music
  11. bark — to shout
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lean — thin
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bear — to put up with

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