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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. race — humankind
  7. bark — to shout
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. drill — army training
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. race — a contest
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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