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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. shower — to wash
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. spell — a short time
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spell — magic
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. capital — money
  12. bark — to shout
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. suit — to fit
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. net — for catching
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spell — letters

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