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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. march — the month
  4. tear — to rip
  5. march — music
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. craft — boats
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. tear — from crying
  13. key — the most important part
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. key — for a lock
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bark — to shout
  22. march — the month
  23. key — in music
  24. lash — to lash out

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