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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rule — a law
  6. spell — a short time
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. lean — thin
  9. spell — letters
  10. shower — rain
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. toast — bread
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rule — government
  19. bark — to shout
  20. shower — to wash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. spell — magic
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rule — to rule out

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