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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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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: wound · stick · plane · hide · bark · nail · pit · lash

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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