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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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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: object · pound · rock · bear · net · bark · lash · arm

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rock — music
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. net — after costs
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rock — a stone
  16. net — in sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. net — for catching
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rock — to move gently

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