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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. charge — electricity
  5. scale — size or range
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. charge — a price
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. net — after costs
  15. scale — in music
  16. charge — in control
  17. clip — to cut
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. net — in sport
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. net — for catching
  24. bark — to shout

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