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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. field — for sport
  13. season — in sport
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. field — a subject
  16. bound — certain
  17. field — farmland
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bound — obliged
  21. season — of the year
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. safe — out of danger

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