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

Word bank: rule · lash · bowl · prune · straw · snap · bark · deal

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bark — to shout
  14. snap — to click
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. deal — to handle

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