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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 124 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bark — to shout
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bound — certain
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. kick — in football
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pit — in a race

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