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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bark — to shout
  4. club — for golf
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — a group
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. land — ground
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. safe — a strongbox

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