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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. spring — of water
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. spring — a coil
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. scale — in music
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. spring — the season
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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