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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 124 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. row — to paddle
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. row — a line
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. club — for dancing
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bark — to shout
  22. club — a group
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — for golf

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