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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. swing — music
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bulb — for light
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. shower — to wash
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bulb — for light
  20. shower — rain
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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