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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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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: lash · tear · bark · wound · bulb · bay · leaves · racket

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. tear — to rip
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lash — an eyelash

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