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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — a group
  4. snap — to click
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. net — for catching
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. net — after costs
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. net — in sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. saw — the tool
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. roll — a list
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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