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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · lash · root · file · can · bark · club · branch

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mug — a face
  4. file — a tool
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. root — of a word
  7. club — for golf
  8. mug — to rob
  9. root — the cause
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bark — to shout
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. can — to be able to
  15. file — a document
  16. branch — a division
  17. file — a line of people
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. mug — a cup
  21. can — a tin
  22. root — of a plant
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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