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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bark — to shout
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cue — a hint
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cue — a signal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tear — to rip

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