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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 116 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ground — crushed
  6. track — a song
  7. dip — to sink
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mug — a cup
  11. track — to keep track
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. ground — the earth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. tube — the underground
  17. sharp — clever
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ground — a position
  20. track — a path
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. mug — a face
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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