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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. spring — of water
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. present — the time now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. present — a gift
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pop — music
  13. track — to keep track
  14. sharp — clever
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spring — the season
  19. track — a song
  20. present — there
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pop — to visit
  23. track — a path
  24. pop — soda

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