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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — to go on
  6. kick — in football
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. last — finally
  13. fall — to drop
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fall — the season
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. mug — a face
  24. last — final

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