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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: bark · rash · mark · swing · bank · staff · deal · rest

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. swing — music
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rest — a break
  8. bank — of a river
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rash — a series
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bank — for money
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rash — hasty
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. staff — a stick

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