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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bank — for money
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. race — humankind
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. bulb — for light
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spring — the season
  18. drill — army training
  19. race — a contest
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bank — of a river
  24. race — the arms race

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