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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. staff — employees
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. hand — help
  24. bark — to shout

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