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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fork — in a road
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. staff — employees
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tube — the underground
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tube — a container
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bark — to shout
  21. staff — employees
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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