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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. foot — a measure
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bark — to shout
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. tube — a container
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. squash — to crush
  19. tube — the underground
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pitch — completely
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. foot — the bottom

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