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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · cabinet · track · bark · rash · mug · lash · root

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. track — a path
  4. root — of a word
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. track — a song
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rash — a series
  21. root — the cause
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mug — a face
  24. track — to keep track

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