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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. land — to come down
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. land — a country
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. sharp — clever
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. land — ground
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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