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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 116 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: degree · bark · face · leaves · spring · safe · lash · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. can — a tin
  5. spring — the season
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. face — to confront
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — of water
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. degree — from a university
  20. spring — a coil
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. safe — a strongbox

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