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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mug — a face
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pop — soda
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kick — in football
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bark — to shout
  23. field — for sport
  24. bound — certain

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