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

Word bank: fine · bark · mark · deal · club · hide · snap · kick

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fine — high quality
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bark — to shout
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. snap — to click
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fine — all right
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mark — a grade
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. club — for golf
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mark — a trace

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