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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. capital — money
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. tear — from crying
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pop — soda
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pop — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. capital — a city

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