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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. kick — in football
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. march — music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. march — the month
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bark — to shout
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. march — the month
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. dip — a sauce
  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