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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wake — a trail
  5. firm — decided
  6. band — a ring
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. foot — a measure
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. firm — steady
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. firm — a company
  20. band — a music group
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bark — of a tree

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