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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · bark · prune · saw · last · arm · racket · wake

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. last — finally
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. content — the amount
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. content — happy
  16. last — final
  17. wake — a trail
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. last — to go on
  24. prune — to trim

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