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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. board — a committee
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — to get on
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spring — the season
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. spring — of water
  20. prune — to trim
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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