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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: bark · leaves · nail · lie · ground · sharp · stick · spell

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. ground — a position
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — the earth
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bark — to shout
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — crushed
  23. spell — a short time
  24. lie — an untruth

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