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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. drill — army training
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — to eat
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. last — final
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. chip — for betting
  17. last — to go on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. last — finally
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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