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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rest — a break
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. file — a line of people
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rash — hasty
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. foot — a measure
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. file — a tool
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rest — what's left
  22. file — a document
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rest — what's left

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