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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. clip — for paper
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. clip — a video
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. suit — in cards
  8. snap — to click
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. clip — to cut
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. kid — to tease
  15. toast — bread
  16. kid — child
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. suit — to fit
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. suit — clothes
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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