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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fall — to drop
  5. content — happy
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fall — to drop
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. band — a music group
  17. season — in sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fall — the season
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. season — of the year
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. content — the amount
  24. band — a ring

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