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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fine — all right
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wax — for sculpting

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