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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 120 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 dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. race — the arms race
  3. rash — a series
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. chest — a box
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — hasty
  8. race — a contest
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. last — final
  14. bark — to shout
  15. chest — of your body
  16. last — to go on
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. last — finally
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. race — humankind
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. chest — of your body
  24. drill — army training

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