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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — a company
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. content — happy
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — to shout
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. content — the amount
  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