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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bore — to tire
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. suit — to fit
  13. row — a line
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bark — to shout
  20. suit — clothes
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. swing — music
  24. straw — dry grass

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