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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. can — a tin
  3. fall — the season
  4. firm — a company
  5. lean — thin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. firm — steady
  12. bark — to shout
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. can — a tin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fall — to drop
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lean — to bend

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