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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · saw · rock · bark · spell · stick · march · hide

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spell — magic
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. march — music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. spell — letters
  21. march — the month
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. spell — a short time

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