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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. game — a match
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. foot — a measure
  12. content — the amount
  13. snap — to click
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. content — happy
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fan — to cool the air

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