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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. kick — in football
  24. coach — a trainer

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