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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: bay · saw · hand · mate · bark · object · can · rock

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. object — to protest
  4. mate — to breed
  5. object — an aim
  6. can — a tin
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rock — a stone
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — help
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rock — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. hand — in cards
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. object — a thing

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