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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. suit — to fit
  5. snap — to click
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spell — magic
  8. bark — to shout
  9. hand — help
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. hand — in cards
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. track — a song
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. spell — letters
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. spell — a short time
  22. track — a path
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. track — to keep track

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