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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 · root · lash · chip · bark · saw · race · fork

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. root — the cause
  8. race — a contest
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. race — the arms race
  11. root — of a word
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. race — humankind
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. chip — to eat
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fork — in a road
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. root — of a plant

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