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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 116 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. last — to go on
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. last — finally
  14. dip — to sink
  15. last — final
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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