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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kid — child
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kid — to tease
  7. spell — magic
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. fork — in a road
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. spell — letters

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