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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. march — music
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. march — the month
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stock — shares
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. prune — to trim
  21. march — the month
  22. stock — goods
  23. bark — to shout
  24. trunk — of a tree

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