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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 · rash · lean · chip · last · lie · bank · spell

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. lean — thin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. spell — letters
  6. chip — to eat
  7. last — final
  8. spell — a short time
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. last — to go on
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. last — finally
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spell — magic
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lie — to recline
  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