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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bark · pop · object · lash · snap · last · bay · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pop — soda
  3. last — to go on
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. last — finally
  6. pop — music
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. object — to protest
  11. pop — to visit
  12. object — a thing
  13. spring — a coil
  14. last — final
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. object — an aim
  20. spring — the season
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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