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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bark — to shout
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stock — shares
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mug — a face
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mug — a cup
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — goods
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stock — a soup base

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