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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kick — in football
  7. race — humankind
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. track — to keep track
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — a song
  14. chest — of your body
  15. track — a path
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. race — a contest
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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