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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 116 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. drill — a practice
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. kid — to tease
  6. tube — the underground
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. key — the most important part
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. drill — army training
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. kid — child
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. key — for a lock
  23. tube — a container
  24. key — in music

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