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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · foot · branch · chip · ruler · bark · bay · hand

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — to eat
  8. hand — in cards
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. chip — for betting
  15. foot — a measure
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. hand — help
  23. branch — a division
  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