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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. suit — in cards
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. club — a group
  12. stand — to bear
  13. club — for golf
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. suit — to fit
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. kid — child
  24. cell — a phone

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