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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bark — to shout
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. spring — the season
  7. drill — army training
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. staff — employees
  10. race — humankind
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. staff — employees
  15. drill — the tool
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. spring — of water
  23. staff — a stick
  24. spring — a coil

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