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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mate — to breed
  5. object — an aim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fine — all right
  9. bark — to shout
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mark — a grade
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mate — a friend
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. squash — to crush
  22. object — a thing
  23. squash — the sport
  24. kick — in football

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