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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. drill — the tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. staff — employees
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. drill — army training
  16. pitch — completely
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rock — music
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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