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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — to recline
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — for money
  23. kid — child
  24. bark — to shout

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