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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 120 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: cabinet · fan · firm · bark · lash · sharp · perch · staff

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. firm — decided
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. staff — employees
  11. bark — to shout
  12. sharp — clever
  13. firm — a company
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. firm — steady
  16. staff — employees
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — a supporter

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