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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 · stock · net · pound · bark · safe · sharp · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stock — shares
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. net — for catching
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stock — goods
  12. net — after costs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bark — to shout
  23. net — in sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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