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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bark — to shout
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lean — thin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. snap — to click
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. club — a group
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. club — for golf
  24. lean — to bend

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