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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. kick — in football
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pop — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. face — to confront
  12. pop — soda
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. face — to point toward
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pop — to visit
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bark — to shout
  24. object — a thing

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