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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bound — certain
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rock — music
  5. bore — to drill
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bound — obliged
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. bore — to tire
  14. firm — steady
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. firm — a company
  19. staff — employees
  20. firm — decided
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rock — a stone

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