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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bat — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bass — low music
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stand — to bear

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