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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. can — to be able to
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mug — to rob
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — a line
  15. can — a tin
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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