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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bark — to shout
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mug — a face
  7. scale — in music
  8. object — a thing
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pop — soda
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. object — to protest
  19. pop — music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. object — an aim
  24. pop — to visit

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