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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · net · ground · bark · lash · rash · content · fan

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. net — for catching
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — in sport
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. rash — a series
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ground — a position
  15. rash — hasty
  16. content — the amount
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ground — the earth
  20. net — after costs
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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