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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bore — to drill
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. race — humankind
  7. stem — to come from
  8. squash — to crush
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. squash — the sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bark — to shout
  16. drill — a practice
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. race — a contest
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. drill — army training
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bore — gave birth

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