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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 116 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: key · lie · stem · lash · mark · bark · content · row

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bark — to shout
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. row — a line
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bark — of a tree

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