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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: face · deal · bark · root · lash · net · mark · vault

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. net — after costs
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mark — a grade
  13. net — for catching
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bark — to shout
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. vault — a safe
  19. net — in sport
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. face — part of the head
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. deal — to handle
  24. face — to confront

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