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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: lash · degree · fan · file · bark · rock · wake · jam

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rock — music
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. file — a document
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. degree — an amount
  19. file — a tool
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. degree — temperature
  23. rock — to move gently
  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