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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 · nail · kick · foot · pass · spell · firm · march

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. march — music
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. march — the month
  7. pass — a permit
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. spell — a short time
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. spell — letters
  15. march — the month
  16. kick — in football
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. spell — magic
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. firm — steady

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