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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cue — a signal
  3. file — a tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pit — in a race
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cue — a hint
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. file — a document
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rest — a break
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bore — to drill

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