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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. drill — army training
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. ground — a position
  8. date — the fruit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rash — a series
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. suit — to fit
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rash — hasty

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