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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stand — to bear
  5. dip — to sink
  6. hand — help
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stand — for spectators

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