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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. sharp — clever
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lean — to bend
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bore — to drill
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lean — thin
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. sharp — exactly

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