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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · racket · lean · bulb · file · jam · bark · lash

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. lean — thin
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. bark — to shout
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. file — a document
  10. lean — to bend
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. capital — money
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bulb — for light
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bulb — for light
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. capital — a city
  23. lean — to rest against
  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