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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. chest — a box
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ground — crushed
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. key — in music
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. ground — the earth
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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