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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a line
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wound — an injury
  20. row — to paddle
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

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