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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. present — there
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mug — a face
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rock — music
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hand — help
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. present — the time now
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bark — to shout
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mug — to rob
  18. season — in sport
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mark — a trace
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. present — a gift
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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