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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. last — to go on
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rash — a series
  16. scale — in music
  17. bound — certain
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bear — the animal
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. fan — a supporter

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