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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. present — the time now
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. present — a gift
  8. stock — goods
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wind — moving air
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lie — to recline
  21. present — there
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. pitch — completely

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