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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.

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: bark · clip · mug · kid · wake · coach · object · bowl

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. object — a thing
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mug — a face
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. clip — a video
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. object — to protest
  16. mug — to rob
  17. object — an aim
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mug — a cup
  22. clip — to cut
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. kid — to tease

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