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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. dip — to sink
  5. present — a gift
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. toast — bread
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. board — to get on
  10. bark — to shout
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. content — the amount
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. present — there
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. board — a committee
  19. perch — the fish
  20. content — happy
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. present — the time now
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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