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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: lie · wax · roll · fork · bark · lash · mine · pit

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fork — in a road
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pit — a hole
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mine — belonging to me

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