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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bark — to shout
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. current — happening now
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cap — a lid
  10. current — of water
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. branch — a division
  18. cap — of ice
  19. current — electric
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cap — a hat
  22. row — a line
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lash — to lash out

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