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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bark — to shout
  9. face — to point toward
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stock — shares
  14. face — to confront
  15. kick — in football
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stock — goods
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mine — for digging
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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