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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bark — to shout
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lean — thin
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. track — a path
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mine — for digging
  16. board — to get on
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. board — a committee
  21. track — a song
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. board — a flat piece

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