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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rock — a stone
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rock — music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — finally
  14. rush — hurry
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. drill — army training
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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