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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. firm — steady
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. firm — a company
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. firm — decided
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. season — in sport
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. spell — magic

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