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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. land — to come down
  3. lean — thin
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fine — all right
  12. snap — to click
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fine — high quality
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. hide — animal skin

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