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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: lash · bound · fall · racket · straw · bark · leaves · face

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. bound — tied together
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bound — certain
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bark — to shout
  11. face — to confront
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. face — to point toward
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bark — of a tree

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