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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. band — a music group
  12. staff — employees
  13. bound — certain
  14. drill — army training
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rush — hurry
  24. staff — employees

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