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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: hand · arm · bark · tube · prune · spell · dip · hide

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. spell — magic
  4. tube — a container
  5. hand — in cards
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spell — letters
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spell — a short time
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. tube — the underground
  23. hand — help
  24. arm — part of the body

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