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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. kick — in football
  5. key — for a lock
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rash — a series
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cap — of ice
  12. key — in music
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cap — a hat
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hand — help
  22. lie — to recline
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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