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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 124 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. can — a tin
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. squash — the sport
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. can — a tin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bark — to shout

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