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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bark — to shout
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mark — a grade
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. perch — the fish
  11. staff — employees
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cue — a signal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cue — for pool
  16. staff — employees
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. lash — an eyelash

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