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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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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: bark · scale · bear · foot · tear · rush · hand · last

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. last — finally
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. last — final
  9. bear — the animal
  10. scale — in music
  11. tear — to rip
  12. last — to go on
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hand — in cards
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hand — help
  24. foot — a measure

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