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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.

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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: fork · lean · lash · bark · pit · race · hide · coach

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lean — to bend
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pit — a hole
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fork — in a road

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