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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: bank · spell · face · tube · lash · kick · bark · kid

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spell — letters
  5. tube — a container
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. kid — child
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. face — part of the head
  11. spell — magic
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bank — for money
  14. tube — the underground
  15. face — to confront
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bank — of a river
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — a short time
  24. tube — in a tire

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