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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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rest — a break
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mark — a trace
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. scale — in music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. suit — in cards
  22. rest — what's left
  23. file — a document
  24. mark — a grade

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