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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. object — to protest
  6. court — for sport
  7. suit — to fit
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. snap — to click
  10. court — of law
  11. bound — tied together
  12. suit — clothes
  13. court — of a king
  14. suit — in cards
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bound — certain
  17. object — an aim
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bound — obliged
  22. foot — a measure
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. object — a thing

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