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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: mouse · foot · bark · key · lash · present · rule · dip

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rule — a law
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. present — there
  19. foot — a measure
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rule — government
  24. dip — to sink

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