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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rash — a series
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rock — music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rash — hasty
  18. root — of a word
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pound — a weight
  24. root — the cause

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