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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: bark · squash · dip · lash · saw · rule · face · chip

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. chip — to eat
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. face — to confront
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. face — to point toward
  21. squash — the sport
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. face — part of the head
  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