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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rush — hurry
  9. kick — in football
  10. cue — a signal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spell — magic
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cue — a hint
  20. squash — to crush
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. spell — letters
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rush — 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