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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cap — a hat
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wake — a trail
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fan — a supporter

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