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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rest — what's left
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. track — a song
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. track — a path
  14. rest — a break
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rest — what's left
  18. track — to keep track
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mouse — the animal

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