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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cap — a hat
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fine — all right
  20. hand — help
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hand — part of the body

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