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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pop — music
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. kid — to tease
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pop — to visit
  8. board — a committee
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. scale — in music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rule — a law
  14. kid — child
  15. bark — to shout
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. board — to get on
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rule — government
  24. pop — soda

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