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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. shower — rain
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. object — to protest
  12. bark — to shout
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bear — the animal
  18. object — a thing
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bear — the animal
  24. object — an aim

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