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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mug — a face
  7. bore — to drill
  8. degree — an amount
  9. board — to get on
  10. bore — to tire
  11. shower — rain
  12. drill — the tool
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bark — to shout
  17. shower — to wash
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. mug — a cup
  21. board — a committee
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mug — to rob
  24. degree — from a university

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