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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. present — the time now
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rest — a break
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bank — for money
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bank — for money
  14. wind — moving air
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bank — of a river
  17. can — a tin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bark — to shout
  20. game — a match
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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