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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 120 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: ground · lash · rock · bark · bulb · present · face · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. face — to confront
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bulb — for light
  8. present — the time now
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ground — crushed
  14. present — a gift
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ground — a position
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. face — to point toward
  21. present — there
  22. face — part of the head
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bulb — for light

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