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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. present — the time now
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. present — a gift
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. present — there
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mug — a face

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