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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. spell — letters
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rest — a break
  18. spell — magic
  19. rest — what's left
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mine — an explosive

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