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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. toast — bread
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fine — high quality
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. can — a tin
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fine — all right
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. can — to be able to
  18. kick — in football
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. can — a tin

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