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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. file — a document
  4. drill — army training
  5. bark — to shout
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bass — the fish
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pass — a permit
  11. drill — the tool
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bass — low music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. file — a tool
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. drill — a practice

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