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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — boats
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. craft — a skill
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. tear — from crying
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. tear — from crying

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