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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rock — music
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. prune — to trim
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rock — a stone
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lean — thin
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. snap — to click
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wax — for sculpting

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