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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ball — a dance
  5. root — of a word
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rash — a series
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bark — to shout

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