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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. craft — boats
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mug — to rob
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bark — to shout
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mug — a face
  16. root — of a word
  17. mug — a cup
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ball — a dance
  20. root — the cause
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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