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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: pass · kick · squash · chair · arm · bark · tear · fork

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chair — a leader
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pass — a permit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. fork — in a road
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. squash — the sport
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kick — in football
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fork — a garden tool

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