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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 120 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. game — wild animals
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bark — to shout
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. suit — clothes
  9. degree — temperature
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. game — a match
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bear — the animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. suit — in cards
  24. degree — from a university

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