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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitch · rash · mate · wound · rest · bark · spell · nail

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. spell — magic
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bark — to shout
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rash — hasty
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. spell — letters
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — a series

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