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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fork — in a road
  6. shower — rain
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. row — a line
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bulb — for light
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cap — of ice
  21. shower — to wash
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. row — a quarrel

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