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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lie — to recline
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. shower — to wash
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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