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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. staff — employees
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pit — a hole
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kick — in football
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rash — a series
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pit — in a race

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