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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 124 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bark — to shout
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pit — a hole
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. branch — a division
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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