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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: wind · prune · sharp · stick · bark · fine · toast · current

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. toast — bread
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. current — happening now
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. prune — to trim
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. wind — moving air
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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