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

Word bank: bear · lash · pound · wake · face · fork · mark · bat

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pound — a weight
  5. face — to confront
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lash — an eyelash

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