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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bass — low music
  13. net — for catching
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. net — after costs
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wind — moving air
  24. net — in sport

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