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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rash — a series
  6. bark — to shout
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. object — to protest
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. swing — to play on
  16. object — a thing
  17. suit — to fit
  18. swing — music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bark — of a tree

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