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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. snap — to click
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pit — a hole
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wind — moving air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bark — to shout
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pit — in a race

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