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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bank — for money
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — to shout
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wound — an injury
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bank — of a river

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