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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pit — a hole
  7. foot — a measure
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bark — to shout
  14. kick — in football
  15. rash — a series
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pit — in a race
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. key — in music
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. perch — for a bird

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