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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. clip — to cut
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bark — to shout
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mug — a face
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mate — to breed
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. suit — to fit
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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