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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bass — the fish
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bark — to shout
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. swing — music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — in golf
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fine — high quality
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fine — all right
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bass — low music

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