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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: squash · bowl · bark · lash · present · lean · racket · content

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. present — the time now
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. present — there
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — happy
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. content — the amount
  13. lean — thin
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lean — to bend
  17. present — a gift
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. squash — the sport
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bowl — to roll

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