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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wound — an injury
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. court — for sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bear — to put up with

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