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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. kid — to tease
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bulb — for light
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. kid — child
  20. craft — boats
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bulb — for light

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