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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. tube — a container
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pop — music
  17. mug — a face
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mug — to rob

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