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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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. deal — to handle
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. snap — to click
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tube — a container
  20. prune — to trim
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. chest — a box
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bark — to shout

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