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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. swing — music
  4. object — a thing
  5. rock — a stone
  6. object — to protest
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. deal — to handle
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. object — an aim
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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