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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tube — a container
  3. court — of a king
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. net — for catching
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. court — of law
  15. net — in sport
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. court — for sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — after costs
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wound — an injury
  24. tube — the underground

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