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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. tube — a container
  6. suit — to fit
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. perch — the fish
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wound — an injury
  13. foot — a measure
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. suit — clothes
  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