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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. toast — bread
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. staff — employees
  10. bat — the animal
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. staff — employees
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. club — for golf
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — a group
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. arm — part of the body
  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