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

Word bank: capital · kid · lash · ruler · hide · bark · jam · face

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. face — to confront
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. capital — a city
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kid — child
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. face — part of the head
  24. ruler — a monarch

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