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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. board — to get on
  5. tear — from crying
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wake — a trail
  8. board — a committee
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bore — to drill
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. drill — army training
  14. band — a ring
  15. bore — to tire
  16. can — a tin
  17. tear — from crying
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. band — a music group
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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