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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. charge — in control
  4. dip — to sink
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. squash — to crush
  8. staff — a stick
  9. field — farmland
  10. drill — army training
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. fall — the season
  16. field — a subject
  17. charge — electricity
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. charge — a price
  22. bark — to shout
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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