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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spell — magic
  8. season — in sport
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. spell — letters
  12. stock — goods
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bear — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stock — shares
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bore — to drill

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