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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. field — for sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. field — farmland
  14. bark — to shout
  15. firm — a company
  16. snap — to click
  17. field — a subject
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. firm — steady
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. chest — a box
  23. firm — decided
  24. bay — a horse colour

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