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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ground — the earth
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. hand — help
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bark — to shout
  24. straw — a straw man

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