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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. chest — a box
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. track — a path
  8. rash — a series
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. track — a song
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. track — to keep track

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