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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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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: lash · tear · bear · land · deal · mug · arm · bark

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bark — to shout
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. land — ground
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bear — the animal
  15. land — a country
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. tear — to rip
  19. deal — to handle
  20. tear — from crying
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mug — a face
  24. land — to come down

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