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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pop — music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pop — soda
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. season — in sport
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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