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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.

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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. ball — a great time
  3. snap — to click
  4. ball — a dance
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cell — in biology
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cell — a phone
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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