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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lean — thin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. last — finally
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fine — all right
  13. track — a path
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rest — what's left
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. last — to go on
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fine — high quality
  22. last — final
  23. rest — a break
  24. lean — to bend

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