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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tube — a container
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mug — a face
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bark — to shout
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — the tool
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. staff — employees
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mug — a cup
  21. staff — a stick
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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