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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: rest · foot · bark · fine · tear · suit · band · snap

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bark — to shout
  4. tear — from crying
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. suit — clothes
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rest — what's left
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rest — a break
  15. suit — to fit
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. snap — to click
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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