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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: fine · hand · stick · mate · can · sharp · lash · bark

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. hand — help
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — a friend
  13. sharp — clever
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hand — in cards
  22. fine — all right
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. can — a tin

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