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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. club — a group
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. kick — in football
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. club — for golf
  15. bark — to shout
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. dip — to sink
  21. club — for dancing
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. leaves — to go away

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