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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fall — the season
  5. firm — decided
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wound — an injury
  8. firm — a company
  9. wind — moving air
  10. net — in sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. firm — steady
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. can — a tin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. net — after costs
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. can — a tin
  24. net — for catching

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