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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · tear · bark · suit · mug · bay

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. 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. suit — in cards
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cell — a phone
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cell — in biology
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mug — a face
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bark — to shout
  15. suit — clothes
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. 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