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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bark — to shout
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tear — from crying
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. dip — to sink
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. kid — child
  20. lean — thin
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pitch — completely
  24. tear — from crying

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