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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. saw — the tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. saw — the tool
  5. field — farmland
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. suit — in cards
  17. field — for sport
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. field — a subject
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. racket — for tennis

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