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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. arm — part of the body
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pop — to visit
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pop — soda
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bark — to shout
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pop — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. arm — a part of something
  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