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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: bark · lash · root · wave · hand · file · club · mark

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. file — a tool
  5. club — a group
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. file — a document
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mark — a trace
  13. root — of a word
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. club — for golf
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mark — a grade
  18. root — the cause
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. hand — help
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. club — for dancing

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