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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. club — for golf
  18. rash — a series
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. prune — to trim
  23. club — a group
  24. cue — a signal

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