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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: sharp · cabinet · lash · fine · saw · bark · firm · hide

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. saw — the tool
  3. firm — decided
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fine — all right
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. firm — steady
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. sharp — clever
  20. firm — a company
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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