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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bound — certain
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. hand — help
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mug — a cup

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