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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: bank · hide · root · rash · scale · firm · arm · bark

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rash — a series
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — to shout
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bank — of a river
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. firm — steady
  15. scale — in music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. firm — decided
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bank — for money
  20. root — of a word
  21. scale — size or range
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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