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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. net — for catching
  3. craft — boats
  4. spring — a coil
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. present — there
  7. spring — the season
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. present — the time now
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. fall — to drop
  16. present — a gift
  17. face — to point toward
  18. spring — of water
  19. net — after costs
  20. craft — a skill
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — in sport
  23. fall — the season
  24. bark — of a tree

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