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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 120 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. band — a ring
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. band — a music group
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. object — to protest
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bark — to shout
  17. press — to push
  18. object — a thing
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. object — an aim
  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