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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: foot · bore · tube · lash · bark · lean · can · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. can — to be able to
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lean — thin
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. foot — a measure
  21. can — a tin
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lean — to bend

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