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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. band — a music group
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — to shout
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. face — part of the head
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. kid — child
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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