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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.

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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 cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. track — a path
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. track — a song
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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