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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. spring — of water
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cue — a signal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. branch — a division
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spring — the season
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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