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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. spring — the season
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. key — in music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. spring — a coil
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spring — of water
  23. spell — magic
  24. bark — of a tree

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