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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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