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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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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: bark · wind · object · bear · rash · rock · pop · hand

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pop — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. object — a thing
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rock — music
  9. rash — a series
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pop — soda
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. hand — help
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wind — moving air
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pop — to visit
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rash — hasty
  22. object — to protest
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. object — an aim

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