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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 · lash · leaves · jam · face · row · deal · pit

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pit — a hole
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. face — to point toward
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. deal — to handle
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bark — to shout
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. row — a line
  19. pit — in a race
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. row — to paddle
  23. face — to confront
  24. deal — a big deal

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