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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. can — a tin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. toast — bread
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. squash — to crush
  10. can — a tin
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bark — to shout
  17. snap — to click
  18. squash — the sport
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. can — to be able to

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