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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. can — a tin
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. can — a tin
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bark — to shout
  8. hand — in cards
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chest — a box
  15. craft — boats
  16. hand — help
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chest — of your body

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