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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fall — the season
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. scale — in music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. ball — a dance
  13. tube — a container
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. bark — to shout
  24. ball — a great time

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