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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. season — in sport
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kid — child
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lean — to bend
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lean — thin
  16. row — a line
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. season — of the year
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. season — to add flavour

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