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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. content — happy
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. content — the amount
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. snap — to click
  20. mine — for digging
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mine — an explosive

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