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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: file · snap · face · racket · bark · staff · lash · lean

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bark — to shout
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. file — a tool
  7. face — to point toward
  8. file — a document
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. lean — to bend
  11. staff — a stick
  12. file — a line of people
  13. face — to confront
  14. staff — employees
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lean — thin
  17. face — part of the head
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. staff — employees
  20. snap — to click
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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