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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. saw — the tool
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pop — music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pop — soda
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pop — to visit
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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