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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cue — a hint
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. foot — a measure
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. lean — thin
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bark — of a tree

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