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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rash — hasty
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bear — the animal
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rash — a series
  12. root — the cause
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chair — a leader
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chair — a professorship

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