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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. band — a ring
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. spring — the season
  5. swing — to play on
  6. perch — the fish
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spring — of water
  16. band — a music group
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. swing — music
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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