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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. band — a ring
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chip — for betting
  13. scale — in music
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. band — a music group
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. scale — size or range
  24. chip — in a computer

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