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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
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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 · ball · hand · wake · mark · snap · suit · tear

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ball — a great time
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. snap — to click
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. suit — in cards
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mark — a grade
  19. tear — from crying
  20. hand — help
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tear — to rip

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