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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. file — a line of people
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. file — a tool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mug — a face
  14. bark — to shout
  15. file — a document
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mug — to rob
  19. scale — in music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mug — a cup

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