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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bulb — for light
  9. race — humankind
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. race — a contest
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bark — to shout

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