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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. bark — to shout
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. branch — a division
  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