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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bark — to shout
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. chest — a box
  12. track — a song
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. track — a path
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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