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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 124 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. tube — a container
  7. bark — to shout
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ground — a position
  12. tear — from crying
  13. drill — army training
  14. kick — in football
  15. tear — to rip
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ground — crushed
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wake — before a funeral

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