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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bank — for money
  8. ball — a dance
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. field — farmland
  14. mug — to rob
  15. craft — boats
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bank — for money
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bark — to shout
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mug — a face
  24. craft — a skill

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