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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. track — a song
  8. rest — a break
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bulb — for light
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chest — a box
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. hand — help
  16. bulb — for light
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. track — to keep track
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bark — to shout
  23. chest — of your body
  24. track — a path

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