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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lean — thin
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pit — in a race
  10. current — electric
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bark — to shout
  17. current — happening now
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rash — a series
  21. current — of water
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bark — of a tree

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