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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. present — the time now
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. present — there
  14. squash — to crush
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — a gift
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. season — of the year

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