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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: rash · lash · last · calf · bark · season · rock · mark

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. season — of the year
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rock — a stone
  6. season — in sport
  7. last — finally
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rash — a series
  12. bark — to shout
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. last — to go on
  17. rock — music
  18. last — final
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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