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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bore — to drill
  10. game — wild animals
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bore — to tire
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. game — a match
  23. tube — a container
  24. game — a kind of play

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