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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. present — the time now
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. hand — in cards
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stand — to bear
  12. hand — help
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bark — to shout
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. present — there

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