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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bark — to shout
  7. capital — money
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. suit — to fit
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mug — a face
  17. scale — in music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. suit — clothes
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. scale — size or range
  23. capital — a city
  24. perch — the fish

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