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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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Word bank
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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: saw · trunk · lean · bark · pitcher · capital · deal · safe

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a city
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lean — to bend
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lean — thin
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pitcher — a jug

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