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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. content — the amount
  4. bark — to shout
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. march — the month
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. march — the month
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. object — to protest
  20. march — music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. content — happy
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rule — to rule out

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