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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. vault — a safe
  9. tube — the underground
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tube — a container
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bark — to shout
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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