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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bark — to shout
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rock — music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — certain
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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