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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: spell · bark · wound · fine · bay · nail · arm · deal

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spell — magic
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spell — letters
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. nail — for a hammer

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