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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: object · branch · racket · tube · chair · wake · bark · lash

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wake — a trail
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. branch — a division
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. chair — a leader
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. object — an aim
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bark — to shout
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tube — the underground
  23. object — a thing
  24. branch — of a tree

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