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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. suit — clothes
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. suit — to fit
  9. lie — to recline
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. court — of a king
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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