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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a music group
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ball — a dance
  11. hand — help
  12. suit — clothes
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ball — a great time
  24. band — a ring

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