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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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 — of a tree
  3. lie — to recline
  4. march — the month
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pop — soda
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. march — music
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — to shout
  21. march — the month
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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