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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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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: foot · bark · rash · prune · clip · rock · sharp · firm

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. foot — a measure
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rock — music
  7. clip — a video
  8. sharp — clever
  9. prune — to trim
  10. clip — to cut
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. prune — to trim
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rash — a series
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. firm — decided
  24. rash — hasty

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