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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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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: mark · bark · stand · fork · tear · snap · last · shower

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mark — a trace
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. last — final
  15. tear — from crying
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. snap — to click
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. shower — rain
  24. mark — a grade

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