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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 · saw · hide · fan · rock · trunk · content

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. hand — help
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rock — music
  16. bark — to shout
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rock — a stone

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