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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 116 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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. face — part of the head
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. face — to confront
  11. track — to keep track
  12. staff — employees
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. track — a path
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. staff — a stick
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stand — to bear
  22. track — a song
  23. staff — employees
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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