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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: mouse · cell · kick · bark · spell · pit · mug · wave

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cell — in biology
  7. kick — in football
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mug — a face
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. spell — letters
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — magic
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mug — to rob

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