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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. file — a line of people
  5. suit — in cards
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. object — an aim
  8. file — a tool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. snap — to click
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. object — to protest
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — thin
  16. bark — to shout
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. track — a song
  19. lean — to bend
  20. file — a document
  21. track — a path
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. suit — clothes
  24. object — a thing

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