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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. season — of the year
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. land — to come down
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. land — ground
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. land — a country
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bank — for money
  15. tube — a container
  16. season — in sport
  17. snap — to click
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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