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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bark — to shout
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bore — to drill
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stock — goods
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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