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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wake — a trail
  4. shower — rain
  5. sharp — clever
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. shower — to wash
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bass — low music
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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