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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · bark · nail · object · tear · toast

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bark — to shout
  8. tear — from crying
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. toast — bread
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. object — to protest
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. kick — in football
  18. toast — the most admired

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