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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. shower — rain
  3. stock — shares
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. can — to be able to
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. can — a tin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stock — goods
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bulb — of a plant

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