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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. field — farmland
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bark — to shout
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. field — for sport
  12. suit — in cards
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. land — a country
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. field — a subject
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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