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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fine — all right
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wax — for sculpting

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