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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wind — moving air
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. press — newspapers
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chair — a leader
  19. press — to push
  20. craft — boats
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fall — the season
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lash — to lash out

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