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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bat — the animal
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bark — to shout
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mug — a face
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. kick — in football
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mug — to rob

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