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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. can — a tin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wind — moving air
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rash — a series
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. can — a tin
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lean — thin
  24. wind — moving air

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