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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rest — a break
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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