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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wake — a trail
  3. club — a group
  4. race — a contest
  5. kick — in football
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. chest — a box
  8. staff — employees
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chest — of your body
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. staff — a stick
  16. race — humankind
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. club — for golf
  19. chest — of your body
  20. staff — employees
  21. race — the arms race
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. kick — a thrill

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