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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bound — obliged
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. land — ground
  14. dip — to sink
  15. land — to come down
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. land — a country
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chip — to eat

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