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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. game — a match
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stand — on your feet

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