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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · rush · rash · plane · lash · race · branch · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. race — a contest
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. branch — a division
  8. race — humankind
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rash — a series
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pound — a weight
  20. race — the arms race
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rush — hurry

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