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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. clip — a video
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. clip — to cut
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cell — in biology
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. staff — employees

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