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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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468
Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. kick — in football
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fine — all right
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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