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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. wake — a trail
  9. capital — money
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ball — a dance
  20. capital — a city
  21. hand — help
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. hand — in cards

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