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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. band — a music group
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bark — to shout
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. face — part of the head
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. present — a gift
  20. face — to point toward
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. band — a ring
  23. face — to confront
  24. lash — an eyelash

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