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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bark — to shout
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. last — final
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. last — finally
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. content — happy
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. content — the amount
  18. suit — in cards
  19. last — to go on
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. suit — clothes
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bat — the animal

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