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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · object · lean · rest · stem · net · pitcher · lash

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. net — after costs
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rest — a break
  7. net — for catching
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. net — in sport
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lean — thin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bark — of a tree

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