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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — to protest
  9. cap — a hat
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. object — a thing
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — an aim

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