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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. march — music
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. march — the month
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — the month
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lean — to bend
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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