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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: bark · lean · scale · row · hide · race · craft · lash

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lean — thin
  9. race — a contest
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. row — a line
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. row — to paddle
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. scale — size or range
  23. race — humankind
  24. craft — boats

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