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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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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: saw · nail · snap · scale · leaves · bark · degree · coach

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. degree — temperature
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. degree — from a university
  7. scale — in music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. degree — an amount
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bark — to shout
  14. scale — size or range
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. snap — to click
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. saw — the tool

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