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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bark — to shout
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rule — a law
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rule — government
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. capital — a city
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. capital — money

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