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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. firm — a company
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. firm — decided
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. kid — child
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rest — a break
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kid — to tease
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rest — what's left
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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