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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: shower · bank · content · arm · leaves · nail · fork · bark

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fork — in a road
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. content — happy
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bank — for money
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. shower — rain
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bark — to shout
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. content — the amount

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