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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bark — to shout
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. tear — from crying
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pit — in a race
  16. squash — the sport
  17. key — the most important part
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. key — in music
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bat — for baseball

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