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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — rain
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bark — to shout
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lean — thin
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. shower — to wash
  24. chair — a professorship

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