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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · safe · mug · pitcher · lie · chest · bark · lash

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bark — to shout
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chest — a box
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rest — a break
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mug — a face
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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