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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: key · jam · wind · mine · present · bark · cue · hide

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cue — a hint
  12. present — there
  13. bark — to shout
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. present — a gift
  20. key — the most important part
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wind — moving air
  24. jam — a tight spot

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