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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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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 · tear · bark · rest · jam · object · cabinet · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rest — a break
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. object — to protest
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bark — to shout
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. tear — from crying

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