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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bank — of a river
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. scale — in music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — to shout
  12. court — for sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. court — of law
  16. snap — to click
  17. bank — for money
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. object — a thing
  22. kick — in football
  23. court — of a king
  24. object — an aim

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