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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 120 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: saw · fork · lash · bark · face · suit · bank · capital

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bank — for money
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. capital — a city
  7. fork — in a road
  8. suit — to fit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bank — of a river
  15. saw — the tool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. capital — money
  20. bank — for money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bark — of a tree

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