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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. can — a tin
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. swing — in golf
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bark — to shout
  8. roll — a cake
  9. can — to be able to
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. object — to protest
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. object — a thing
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. object — an aim

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