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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: chair · bark · kick · date · plane · lash · trunk · mouse

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. kick — in football
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. plane — a tool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. kick — with a leg

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