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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. clip — a video
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mate — to breed
  10. branch — a division
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ball — a great time
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mate — a friend
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mate — a partner
  21. clip — for paper
  22. snap — to click
  23. ball — a dance
  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