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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — boats
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. snap — to click
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. craft — a skill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lash — to lash out

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