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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pitch — completely
  9. net — in sport
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. net — after costs
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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