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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 116 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: sharp · calf · bark · nail · fall · spell · perch · rush

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rush — hurry
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fall — the season
  13. bark — to shout
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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