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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bound — obliged
  14. drill — the tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. spell — magic

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