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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. ball — a dance
  11. squash — to crush
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rest — a break
  18. row — a line
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ball — a great time

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