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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: staff · spell · pit · hide · saw · bark · stick · deal

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. spell — letters
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. deal — to handle
  7. staff — employees
  8. spell — magic
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. bark — to shout
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hide — to keep secret

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