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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. track — a path
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. spell — a short time
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. spell — magic
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. track — to keep track
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — a song
  21. spell — letters
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. straw — a straw man

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