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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: craft · mine · fan · chip · hide · bark · race · lash

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mine — for digging
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — to shout
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. chip — for betting
  19. craft — boats
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. race — a contest
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. race — humankind
  24. mine — an explosive

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