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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rash — a series
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wound — an injury
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mug — a face
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stem — to come from
  23. deal — to handle
  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