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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. race — humankind
  5. charge — a price
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. race — a contest
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. deal — to handle
  15. drill — the tool
  16. charge — in control
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rush — hurry
  19. race — the arms race
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. drill — army training
  24. bark — of a tree

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