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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. drill — army training
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. object — an aim
  5. kid — child
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. spell — letters
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bark — to shout
  19. spell — magic
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rush — a thrill

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