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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fork — in a road
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rush — hurry
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cap — of ice

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