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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: bark · lash · racket · bass · rule · prune · stick · file

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bass — the fish
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bark — to shout
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. file — a document
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rule — government
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rule — a law
  24. lash — an eyelash

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