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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. can — a tin
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. hand — help
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. can — a tin
  17. hand — in cards
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. firm — decided
  21. scale — in music
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mug — to rob

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