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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. club — for golf
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — a country
  7. bark — to shout
  8. club — a group
  9. hand — help
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — to come down
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rash — a series
  23. land — ground
  24. hand — in cards

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