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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — goods
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — shares
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rest — a break
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cap — of ice
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. clip — a video
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bear — to put up with

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