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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. spell — magic
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. saw — the tool
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  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