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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · bear · staff · mine · march · lean · trunk · lash

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. march — the month
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. march — music
  19. mine — for digging
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. staff — a stick
  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