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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · lash · bark · staff · lie · dip · key · pitch

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. staff — a stick
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. key — in music
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — employees
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. key — the most important part

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