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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chest — of your body
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. chest — a box
  10. drill — army training
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bark — to shout
  17. shower — rain
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rock — music
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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