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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: spell · stick · row · hand · bark · deal · bulb · suit

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. hand — in cards
  3. spell — a short time
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. hand — help
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. spell — letters
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. suit — to fit
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. suit — in cards
  22. spell — magic
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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