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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bear — the animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. saw — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cap — of ice

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