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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spell — magic
  8. bark — to shout
  9. spell — letters
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wind — moving air
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stand — to bear
  19. present — a gift
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. spell — a short time

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