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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. hand — help
  5. court — of law
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rule — a law
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rule — government
  12. court — for sport
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. court — of a king
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. deal — to handle
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bear — to put up with

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