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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tear — to rip
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. can — to be able to
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. tear — from crying
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. net — in sport
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bark — to shout
  20. clip — for paper
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — after costs
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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