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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. staff — employees
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kick — in football
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. saw — the tool
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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