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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rush — hurry
  7. firm — decided
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. firm — steady
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bark — to shout
  12. ground — a position
  13. firm — a company
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bass — low music
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ground — the earth

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