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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. scale — in music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. branch — a division
  20. firm — decided
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bark — to shout
  23. spell — magic
  24. rush — a thrill

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