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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lean — to bend
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. kid — to tease
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. kid — child
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. staff — employees
  17. march — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bark — to shout
  20. staff — employees
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. march — the month
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. march — the month

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