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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: wave · clip · pit · suit · bank · staff · drill · bark

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. clip — to cut
  4. staff — employees
  5. bank — for money
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pit — a hole
  11. suit — to fit
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bank — for money
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. clip — a video
  21. drill — army training
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. staff — employees
  24. bark — to shout

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