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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · squash · bark · cell · nail · net · band · spell

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. spell — a short time
  5. net — for catching
  6. squash — to crush
  7. band — a ring
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bark — to shout
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spell — letters
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cell — in biology
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. squash — the sport
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. net — in sport
  21. cell — a phone
  22. spell — magic
  23. net — after costs
  24. band — a music group

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