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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: bark · trunk · club · stick · saw · fall · bay · present

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. club — for golf
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. club — for dancing
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. present — the time now
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. club — a group
  11. present — there
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. present — a gift
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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