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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. land — to come down
  3. drill — army training
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. land — a country
  14. drill — the tool
  15. land — ground
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bank — for money
  19. drill — a practice
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rush — hurry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. leaves — of a tree

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