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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. spell — magic
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. suit — to fit
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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