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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. game — a match
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. land — a country
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bark — to shout
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. land — ground
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. game — wild animals

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