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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. mug — a face
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. firm — a company
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mug — a cup
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mug — to rob
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — steady
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. firm — decided
  23. bark — of a tree
  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