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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · date · wound · mine · fine · bark · rash · bear

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. 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. rash — a series
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fine — all right
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bear — the animal
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. 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