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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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Word bank
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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. wind — moving air
  3. can — a tin
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. can — a tin
  16. bark — to shout
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. snap — to click
  24. bear — to put up with

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