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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. foot — a measure
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. pass — a permit
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wound — an injury
  22. clip — a video
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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