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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 120 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: lash · lie · fan · bark · sharp · fine · degree · bank

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bank — for money
  5. lie — to recline
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bank — for money
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bank — of a river
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fine — all right

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