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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. race — humankind
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ball — a great time
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bulb — for light
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mug — a face
  12. race — a contest
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — certain
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. snap — to click
  24. bulb — of a plant

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