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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. race — a contest
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mug — a face
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cell — a phone
  11. race — the arms race
  12. date — the fruit
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cell — in biology
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. race — humankind
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mug — a cup

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