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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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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bound — obliged
  4. swing — music
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pit — a hole
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pit — in a race
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bound — certain
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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