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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rest — what's left
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. kid — child
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rest — a break
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bark — to shout
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rest — what's left
  24. kid — to tease

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