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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
468
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: mate · fork · lash · hand · can · chip · lean · bark

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. lean — thin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mate — a friend
  11. can — a tin
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. hand — help
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mate — a partner
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. chip — for betting

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