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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pit — a hole
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. can — a tin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bark — to shout
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pit — in a race
  18. sharp — clever
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. can — to be able to
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bark — of a tree

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