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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pit — a hole
  4. current — electric
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. current — happening now
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pit — in a race
  13. kid — child
  14. current — of water
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. staff — a stick
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. staff — employees
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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