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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 116 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lean — thin
  19. bark — to shout
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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