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

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. club — a group
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bark — to shout
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — boats
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — for money
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bank — of a river
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — a tool
  20. club — for dancing
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bank — for money
  23. club — for golf
  24. plane — in geometry

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