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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 116 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mug — a face
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chair — a leader
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. ball — a great time
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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