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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. season — in sport
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. foot — a measure
  8. swing — music
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. snap — to click
  14. season — of the year
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bark — to shout
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stand — to bear
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stand — for spectators

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