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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.

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: lash · bark · hide · pass · wave · can · row · sharp

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. can — a tin
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. row — a line
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pass — a permit
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — to be able to
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. can — a tin

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