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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 124 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bark — to shout
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chair — a leader
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. hand — help
  15. row — a line
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chest — a box
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. saw — the tool

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