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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.

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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — a stone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. band — a ring
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. band — a music group
  12. bark — to shout
  13. content — happy
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. content — the amount
  20. rock — music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. nail — on a finger

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