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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bank — for money
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bank — for money
  11. rock — music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rock — a stone
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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