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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bark — to shout
  3. branch — a division
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pound — a weight
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. craft — boats
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. spell — letters
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. craft — a skill

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