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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. hand — help
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. roll — a list
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rule — a law
  19. branch — a division
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rule — government
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. branch — 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