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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: saw · kick · bark · pit · hand · rock · wind · prune

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. kick — in football
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rock — a stone
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. hand — help
  13. pit — a hole
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — music
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bark — to shout
  24. hand — in cards

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