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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 116 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 · cap · lash · trunk · row · bowl · lean · wake

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. row — a line
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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