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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
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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: trunk · jam · arm · bank · fine · lash · bark · spell

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fine — high quality
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spell — a short time
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spell — letters
  15. bank — for money
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. spell — magic
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fine — all right
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. arm — a part of something

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