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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 120 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: row · rock · ground · foot · bark · tear · bank · fork

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bark — to shout
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. row — a line
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ground — a position
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rock — music
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bank — for money

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