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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.

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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 · kid · fork · ruler · hide · staff · foot · bear

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. staff — employees
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. staff — employees
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. kid — to tease
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kid — child
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. hide — to keep secret

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