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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. drill — army training
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mark — a grade
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mark — a trace
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. drill — the tool
  18. deal — an agreement

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