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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mate — a friend
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. present — there
  12. race — humankind
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. kick — in football
  16. present — the time now
  17. race — a contest
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. race — the arms race
  21. spell — letters
  22. present — a gift
  23. spell — magic
  24. mate — a partner

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