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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: lean · temple · bark · press · snap · lash · object · stick

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. object — to protest
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. press — to push
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — a thing
  13. snap — to click
  14. press — a publisher
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lean — to bend
  18. object — an aim
  19. press — newspapers
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. lean — thin

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