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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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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chip — for betting
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. drill — army training
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. chip — to eat
  24. nail — for a hammer

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