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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lean — thin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bass — low music
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bass — the fish
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. firm — decided
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mate — a friend
  12. firm — a company
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mate — a partner
  24. firm — steady

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