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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — tied together
  5. kid — to tease
  6. club — for dancing
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. bark — to shout
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. club — for golf
  13. bound — obliged
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. club — a group
  17. snap — to click
  18. wound — an injury
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kid — child
  21. bound — certain
  22. swing — in golf
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. calf — a young animal

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