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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. saw — the tool
  6. capital — money
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. capital — a city
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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