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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mate — to breed
  9. drill — army training
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. sharp — clever
  13. drill — a practice
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bark — to shout
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. temple — a place of worship

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