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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bear — the animal
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rest — what's left
  6. drill — the tool
  7. key — in music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rest — a break
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bark — to shout
  15. drill — army training
  16. bear — the animal
  17. drill — a practice
  18. deal — to handle

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