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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 120 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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. staff — a stick
  6. spring — the season
  7. wake — a trail
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. spell — a short time
  11. suit — clothes
  12. staff — employees
  13. spell — magic
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spring — of water
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — letters
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. spring — a coil
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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