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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 · roll · lean · plane · snap · nail · foot

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bark — to shout
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. foot — a measure
  14. snap — to click
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. roll — a list
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lean — thin
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. roll — a cake

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