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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bark — to shout
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. shower — rain
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. toast — bread
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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