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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. last — finally
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. firm — a company
  9. drill — army training
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. snap — to click
  12. last — final
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bark — to shout
  16. row — a line
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. firm — steady
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. firm — decided
  24. mouse — the animal

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