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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 124 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bark — to shout
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. vault — a safe
  10. deal — to handle
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. present — the time now
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. present — a gift
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. present — there
  23. craft — boats
  24. bark — of a tree

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