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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. game — a match
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. tube — a container
  10. bound — tied together
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. snap — to click
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bark — to shout
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bound — certain
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bound — obliged

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