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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 116 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. drill — army training
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. vault — a safe
  9. dip — to sink
  10. season — in sport
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. drill — the tool
  17. season — of the year
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pass — to spend time
  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