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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bear — the animal
  12. swing — in golf
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. game — a match
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. swing — music

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