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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bark — to shout
  15. key — for a lock
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. shower — rain
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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