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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 116 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 · hand · rule · bass · wake · prune · safe · spell

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bark — to shout
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. spell — letters
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — magic
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. hand — help
  16. rule — government
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hand — in cards
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rule — a law
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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