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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. tear — to rip
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. tear — from crying
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rush — hurry
  15. vault — a safe
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. tear — from crying
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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