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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. race — a contest
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. shower — to wash
  7. race — the arms race
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. drill — army training
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. race — humankind
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rock — music
  23. row — a line
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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