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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. present — the time now
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. track — a path
  5. key — in music
  6. snap — to click
  7. track — a song
  8. bark — to shout
  9. key — the most important part
  10. present — a gift
  11. bear — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. object — an aim
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. object — a thing
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rock — music
  24. present — there

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