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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. dip — to sink
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ground — the earth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. ground — crushed
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — to shout
  15. ground — a position
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. can — a tin
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. prune — the fruit

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