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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. race — the arms race
  5. drill — army training
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. board — a committee
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wound — an injury
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. drill — a practice
  14. board — to get on
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. firm — a company
  17. bark — to shout
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. drill — the tool
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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