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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 116 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. can — a tin
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. can — a tin
  5. suit — in cards
  6. march — the month
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. march — the month
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mark — a grade
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. suit — to fit
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mark — a trace
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. march — music
  24. wave — with your hand

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