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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. suit — clothes
  5. rest — a break
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bark — to shout
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mine — belonging to me

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