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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fall — the season
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lean — thin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ground — a position
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mouse — the animal

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