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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. spring — the season
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. net — in sport
  7. spring — of water
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. net — for catching
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mug — a cup
  18. net — after costs
  19. mug — a face
  20. spring — a coil
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bark — to shout

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