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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. can — to be able to
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bark — to shout
  6. field — farmland
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. field — a subject
  9. bulb — for light
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. can — a tin
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. snap — to click
  20. field — for sport
  21. plane — a tool
  22. branch — a division
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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