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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: band · wave · bark · lash · spring · row · net · bear

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. spring — a coil
  4. band — a ring
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. row — a line
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. spring — of water
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. net — for catching
  23. spring — the season
  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