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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. bark — of a tree
  3. spring — the season
  4. fine — high quality
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. spring — of water
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fine — all right
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. spell — magic
  14. craft — boats
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. spell — letters
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bark — to shout
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. spell — a short time
  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